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These chocolate frosted donuts are perfect to make in the runup to Christmas. They’re a tasty, sweet treat for Christmas morning and you can make them with just five ingredients. A chocolate doughnut reindeer starts off as a chocolate mini donut, and then M&Ms, mini pretzels, candy eyes, and melted chocolate are all you need to convert them into the cutest desserts you have ever seen! Everyone will want one. And since it’s Christmas and they’re made using mini donuts, you might want to serve everyone two!
Santa’s reindeers aren’t the only ones to expect over the holidays, not if you make no bake reindeer donuts. Nobody will be able to resist one with Christmas breakfast!
Expand your holiday menu with festive panettone bread, gingerbread trifle or eggnog cheesecake to complement the seasonal cheer.
Why You’ll Love Them
Easy: This is an incredibly simple recipe to make and you can make it in just a few minutes. So, if you have a lot of Christmas breakfast prep to do, add this recipe to the list because you can make the donut reindeer in 5 minutes flat!
Delicious: Reindeer donuts are a great treat for those with a sweet tooth. If you like chocolate, donuts and pretzels, you’re going to love these!
Festive: Not every festive treat is this quick and easy to make, so if you want to add extra fun to your holiday parties this year, you just have to make these festive red nose reindeer donuts.
Ingredients for Reindeer Christmas Mini Donuts
Along with chocolate mini donuts, you will need M&Ms, pretzels and chocolate chips. And that’s it!
How to Make Red Nosed Reindeer Donuts
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Add the eyes and nose: Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, then dip each of the candy eyeballs and M&Ms in the melted chocolate and stick to the donuts.
Add the antlers: Dip the mini pretzel antlers into the melted chocolate and press into the donuts, then let the chocolate set and serve.
Substitutions and Variations
Peanut M&Ms are ideal for Rudolph the reindeer donuts but if you prefer another variety that’ll work too. You can use any type of mini donuts here, although the chocolate ones look most like reindeer.
If you can only find plain donuts, you can add chocolate frosting on top and then proceed with the recipe or else use the plain ones without any frosting if you’d rather have that.
How to Serve Reindeer Mini Donuts
Enjoy these as part of a Christmas breakfast or for dessert. If you’re making a platter of tasty Christmas treats, other recipes that would pair well with reindeer donuts include nut brittle and Santa cupcakes.
How to Store Reindeer Donuts
Store: Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. These should keep for as long as the mini donuts will keep since all you’re doing is adding candies and pretzels.
Freeze: If you freeze these, the candy eyes and M&Ms might come off and the pretzels will become soggy, so they’re best enjoyed fresh.
Donut Reindeer FAQs
Yes, if you have the time and inclination! You will need a mini donut pan along with other donut making supplies like flour, sugar, baking powder and cocoa powder for the batter, and a piping bag. Grabbing a package of readymade ones from the store is so much easier though, and many stores carry a gluten free option.
You can use any small red candies to make the nose for the reindeer donuts. Skittles, Red Hots or just about any other small red candy would work if you aren’t an M&M fan.
Rudolf The Reindeer Donuts Recipe
Rudolf The Reindeer Donuts
Ingredients
Instructions
- Melt the ¼ cup of chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 second intervals.
- Dip the back side of each candy eye and an M&M in the melted chocolate. Press the M&M into the center of the donut over the hole, and press the eyes on each side of the M&M.
- Dip the bottom of the mini pretzel into the melted chocolate, and push the pretzel into the donut slightly so it will stay in place.
Nutrition
Chocolate donut reindeer take just a few ingredients and 5 minutes to make and they make such cute desserts. Everything from the tiny pretzel antlers to the red M&M nose (some would even say it glows!) is cute and these are incredibly simple to make.
Other Recipes to Try
- This Christmas Mug Cake is a delightful treat for the holiday season.
- For a festive touch, try making these Holiday Reindeer Cookie Treats.
- These adorable Santa Cupcakes are perfect for holiday celebrations.
- Try your hand at crafting Reindeer Rice Krispie Treats for a fun dessert.
- Whip up these Easy Reindeer Cupcakes for a simple yet charming addition to your holiday dessert menu.
- These Chocolate Covered Cherries are deliciously good.
- Try these Christmas Chocolate Sugar Cookies and Buttercream Dip!
- And don’t miss Chocolate Covered Strawberry Reindeer or Gumdrop Nougat!
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
This was a total hit with our guests! Excited to make this again. 🙂